Wilco rocks

And no one loses his dentures

Tools

No one danced at the Wilco show May 8 at the Pikes Peak Center. It could be because it was difficult to move in between the auditorium's folding seats. But it also might be because, as critics have said, Wilco's last album, Sky Blue Sky, really brought out the band's "dad rock gene," and a corresponding "dad rock" audience.

Case in point: the father-son duo next to me. The pair barely breathed, and I only knew for sure they were alive when the son (about 15) stood up during "Heavy Metal Drummer."

Even Jeff Tweedy made fun of himself getting old when he mentioned the early '90s sitcom Mad About You and said, "I'm showing my age, now."

For those of us who've aged with the band, the show was stellar. This is the fourth time I've seen Wilco, and it was the best lineup playing the best set list. Nels Cline and Pat Sansone, both new members, played old songs better than I've ever heard.

In the two-hour show, the band gave attention to every album in its discography. Wilco started out with "Either Way," followed by "You Are My Face" from Sky Blue Sky, but then quickly turned toward 1996's Being There. "Muzzle of Bees" from A Ghost is Born gave Cline a chance to wail with a lofty guitar solo.

Cline switched effortlessly between spacey riffs to snappy, upbeat numbers, like when he went from "A Shot in the Arm" to "Handshake Drugs." He knew when to take center stage, but it never became "the Nels Cline show," which could easily happen considering his talent.

The acoustics at the Pikes Peak Center were ideal, and Wilco put its amps at the perfect volume. Rhythms drummed through the floor but didn't leave heads aching.

Wilco began the last encore with "Passenger Side," and the geriatrics redeemed themselves when someone lit up a joint. The show might have been at the Pikes Peak Center, but it was no symphony.